Life-belt.



L. FORTE.

LIFE BELT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

rut "cums fin: s cc., vusmnamu o c PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

LEON FORTE, or

PARIS, FRANCE.

LIFE-BE LT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed July 16, 1907. Serial No. 384,088.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON FORTE, citizen of Turkey, residing at 107,Boulevard St. Michel, Paris, in the Republic of France,. have inventednew and useful Improvements in Life-Belts, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in life belts.

The improved belt is formed by an annular air reservoir constructed ofsupple waterproof material, stretched 011 frames of steel wire, saidframes carrying partitions, as will hereinafter be described; theimproved belt is extensible and retraetible like an accordion, and isplaced in a case when not in use and carried by means of an adjustableshoulder strap, and has when so carried, the appearance of a pair ofbinocular glasses or a hand camera.

The improved belt is not intended to be filled with compressed air, sothat the reduction of pressure produced by the least tear of the envelopis avoided.

Referring to the annexed drawings: Figure 1 shows the belt extended.Figs. 2 and 3 show a side view and a front view respectively of the beltwhen folded and inserted in its bag or case. Fig. 4 is a side view ofthe closed belt without the bag or case. Fig. 5 is a partial horizontalsection of the belt, showing some cells extended and some cells partlyretracted. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detailed views of one of the valvesplaced between the successive cells of the belt. Fig. 9 is, shown insection view, a detail of the connecting member formed of three pieces,which is used to connect both ends of the envelop.

The belt can be extended or retracted, that is to say, opened or closed;it is constructed of a suitable supple waterproof material, stretchedout by means of preferably rectangular frames 9 or h constructed ofsteel or other suitable wire and arranged at certain distances apart asshown by Fig. 5. At the ends of the belt are fixed the two parts maleand female, of a connecting member formed of three pieces. On the framespartitions of waterproof material f are stretched, each supplied with anaperture 0 on which a flexible val ve b is arranged constructed of asuitable material (see Figs. 5 to 8); these valves are connectedtogether by a Wire 0 which is stretched, when the belt is fully open,and thus automatically moves the valves against their respective seats,as it is shown by the left part of the Fig. 5. The partitions are madetight by this operation. The fixing points of the wire are shown by (Zand c of Fig. 1; the central partition f (Fig. 1) has no aperture. Incase of a rent produced in the envelop of the belt, the water whichpenetrates therein is retained between two partitions.

The belt when closed is put into a case at with a cover 3 retained byclasps or press-buttons, and is carried by means of a shoulder strap(see Figs. 2 and 3) the case is provided with two apertures, which allowthe two parts 2 and 3 of a connecting member formed of three pieces 1, 2and 3 of the kind shown with detail by the Fig. 9, to pass out. The wireframes are alternately of small and large dimensions, in order that theycan fit one into the other, thus allowing the belt to be folded into areduced space: on the drawing (see Fig. 5) g are the small frames and hthe large one.

The belt being carried by the shoulder strap is situated below the leftarm of the wearer and in order to place it round the waist, the malepart 2 of the connecting member (Fig. 2) is taken in the left hand, thecase having been opened; and with the right hand passed behind thewearers back, the female part 3 of the connecting member is drawn to theright and to the front. The belt is thus extended and the air enteringby the two ends raises the valves and fills full the spaces between thepartitions, of course without any compression. The parts 2, 3, of theconnecting member having been attached, the belt is tightened round thewaist, by means of straps and buckles 76 (Fig. 1), which embrace the endof the belt. The open case covers the same end. The belt can be placedround the waist in very few seconds.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A life belt comprising an annular reservoir, the walls of which areconstructed of waterproof and flexible material or fabric, frames ofsteel wire transversely fixed at convenient distances in said annularreservoir in such a manner as to stiffen the latter when it is extendedand to allow of its folding flat when it is closed, transversepartitions of waterproof material stretched on the wire frames fordividing the chamber into compartments, said partitions having valve Icontrolled apertures therein, means for conl trolling the valves, andmeans to connect both ends of the envelop, substantially as describedand for the purpose set forth.

2. A life belt comprising an annular chamber, the walls of which areconstructed of Waterproof and flexible fabric or material, frames ofsteel wire fixed transversely at con venient distances in this annularchamber in such a manner as to stiffen it, when it is extended and toallow it to fold flat when it is closed, transversal partitions ofWaterproof fabric or material, stretched on the wire frames in suchmanner as to divide the chamber into compartments, apertures in thesepartitions, valves of Waterproof fabric or LEON FORTE.

Witnesses ANTOINE LAVOIX, HANsoN 0. 002m.

